North Korea’s formal name is the “Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea,” which is plausibly true, so long as Kim Chong Il’s family members get to vote on things:
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il promoted his son and his sister to top military positions in the hours before the country’s largest political conference in 30 years, demonstrating anew his reliance on family bloodlines to protect his reclusive regime.
The elevation of Kim’s son Kim Jong Eun to the rank of general verified his status as the Stalinist dictator’s heir apparent.
But according to experts, it was the tapping of sister Kim Kyong Hui to a similar position that offered a glimpse into Kim Jong Il’s strategy for protecting power as his health declines and his untested son emerges. To put it simply: He plans to rely on his family.
Perhaps now Kim the elder won’t be so ronery.
Another nut job from a long line of nut jobs. It’s not getting any better over there.
What are the odds that NK does something that we would define as stupid or crazy in an effort to boost the young general’s credibility? I’m not an optimist. This might make the sinking of the Ceonan look like a minor action.
It is easy see the Kim dynasty as nutjobs, but what if they are just misguided men doing the best they can for the people they don’t trust to make decisions? Worse, isn’t it?
Besides, they can’t be evil-cooks, they ain’t got no mustachios to twirl when they cackle.
errr… evil kooks vice mean chefs.
They’re probably that too.
One of Dick Macincko’s Rogue Warrior novels has him being invited to NK to meet Jong Il. There are some funny scenes in the book. It’s one of his more recent books and I can’t remember the name of it.
Say what you will but he does have a wovely voice.
Democratic? No.
Peoples’? Only if you assume that Kim’s are the only people.
Republic? Definitely not.
Korea? I guess they get that one, they are on the peninsula.
So when did 1 out of 4 become passing? You’re not bucking for a job as a public schoolteacher are you?
He promoted his sister only because he needs her husband to watch out and support his heir apparent. With the military support along with some increased viz and support from the KWP, he may have a chance if Kim Chong Il goes meets his dada in the near future.
Interesting to watch as it happens, it took Kim Chong Il years to consolidate his power even after being groomed for over 20 years and he was in his 50s when he did finally ascend to the position. His 27 year old son with limited (read none) experience and no established support will have a much harder time trying to keep peace between the three major factions in DPRK.
Claudio
I ruv that vid. It makes me raf. Raffing is good.
It’s going to be interesting to see if the Nork military really did give their approval for this, or if Roonrey Kim did it in spite of them. I seem to recall that they were not super happy about the elder Kim doing this originally, but got with the plan that time. On the other hand, someone (source?) recently put up a great long analysis of the true offensive abilities of the Nork’s, which are basically non-existent past 72 hours, and that might mean that a civil war might end up making the place a total black hole of poverty, starvation, and mass exodus, even without taking on the South. I think the Chinese are very nervous about the inevitable with the North, so their moves in this regard might be interesting to watch, too.
Stereotyping is never good. Especially since we have made fun of, and discriminated against in the past with immigration/labor laws, Asian people. Satirical reinforcement of a negative generalization of a race is not something I support.